doxiemom's Profile
Heading back to Philadelphia, tweaking the agenda.
Have to back this question up. You really shouldn't miss Lacroix Brunch this time...prejudices against brunch aside, it is really lovely in every possible way that brunch can be. And though I know it will be no problem for you and your athletic epicurean ability, I don't eat for three days following...
Need suggestions for venue near convention center
A friend is looking for a bar venue near convention center that can hold 300-600 people for a launch party. Nothing immediately came to mind, so thought fellow hounders might be able to help.
Heading back to Philadelphia, tweaking the agenda.
Then you'll need to plan on going twice as they don't start making chicken until 11:45. It's worth it to go back for chicken...trust and believe...
Avenida In Chestnut Hill
I am a big fan of Avenida. The food is consistentyl fresh and well presented, and the owners are lovely. The duck with pureed canella is one of my favorites, and the rotating ceviche of the day never disappoints. This week they also had a mussels special that was spciy and creamy, and boasted some of the most gorgeous fat mussells I have ever seen. When they have the branzino, it is always well done. Honestly, there isn't a dish I have had there that I would not reccomend. Let us know how your evening goes!
Rittenhouse Square area, best sushi/omakase? Steaks? Cheesesteaks?
If you are staying at the Rittenhouse Hotel (or anywhere in the area) and have Sunday open, do not miss the Brunch at Lacroix. It is the best deal in the city for truly amazing fine dining and you won't need to eat again for the rest of the day. Reservations can be tricky thought, so book in advance. http://www.lacroixrestaurant.com/the_restaurant/the_restaurant.cfm
Walnut Street Supper Club Tonight...Am I In For It?
Taking a friend out for his birthday tonight, and he requested this place. Am I in for it with this choice? I can't tell from what I have read if its kitsch or cool, and the food looks like standard italian fare, which is totally fine if it's well executed. Has anyone been?
When did Gorben's Fish Market and Take Out disappear?
WHAAAAHHHHH????? I missed that - too busy to read much recently. How exciting!!!
When did Gorben's Fish Market and Take Out disappear?
This is a terrible shame, and a terrible loss to our community. I've shopped there almost weekly since moving to the area a decade ago, and was equally devastated to learn they were permanently closed.
Are these places I should check out for 3 nights in Philly - Other thoughts??
Since you are staying in Rittenhouse, you must got to Matyson. Either lunch or dinner there will do you fine! I have a dear friend who lives in SF, and when she’s back in Philly for her annual visit, her first question off the plane is, "when do we have reservations for Matyson?"
Kihei/Wailea, Maui Report (with side trips to Lahaina, Paia, Makawao)
Great report - thank you! I am so looking forward to my next trip, and starting the to do list now!
Sit By A Fire With Friends? Special Bar/Restaurant Happenings for Christmas?
I love the fireplace in the lounge area at XIX at the Bellevue, although may be tight for 10 people. For more casual (really more casual), McGillins is an option if you're meeting fairly early, say just after work. For someplace in between, Dandelion is a great space and they have decent options for nibbling.
Bluefin in Plymouth Meeting- What's good on the menu?
Everything on their menu is excellent. The fish is so fresh it glows and we always ask to eat the sushi bar so the chefs can make reccomendations based on what they think is best that day.
That being said, the tuna sundae is delightful!
Philly Hound visiting Nashville for the weekend - need recs from local Hounds!
Thanks to you both - I now have some new options to add to the To-Do list!
We ended up at Eastland Cafe, and were able to get a 6:45 reservation which was perfect. Decor was fun and the back patio, thought empty in the evening chill, looked like a perfect spot for warm weather cocktails. We were seated quickly, and the service was friendly if a bit frenetic. We shared two apps among the three of, the salad special, which had nice flavors, but some challenges in the construction in that you could not get all the crunchy and soft elements into one bite, and the goat cheese brulee, which will haunt my palate for quite some time. Delightfully smooth and just warmed through goat cheese, baked pita, and roasted peppers and tomatoes. I opined that the tomatoes and peppers were unnecessary IMHO, but I was voted down by my companions. Yumm...
Entrees were the pork chop, which was juicy and smoky and perfectly seasoned. I had the duck breast with 5 spice powder, coconut rice, and sauteed veggies. The duck breast was perfectly cooked, and the very thin layer of fat that was left delicately balanced the crispiness of the duck skin. Delightful. The coconut rice was again, perfectly seasoned, and light with no gumminess. The veggies were well cooked, but terribly oversalted. The sweetness of the carrots and crispiness of the sauteed beans would have been a nice compliment to the earthy 5 spice and the sweet coconut rice, but struck an inharmonious note. However there was plenty of food on the plate and I still thoroughly enjoyed the dish. The third entree was the shrimp with vegetable crepe. Again, the shrimp was perfectly sauteed and presented at just the right temperature. Unfortunately the salt zealot struck again, and the veggies in the crepe were way too salty for the delicate taste of the shrimp. But the balance of the dish worked so well, so they were forgiven.
Eastland is now added to the list of places in Nashville I can recommend to my friends and fellow Hounds when visiting Music City. Thanks for the recs!
Philly Hound visiting Nashville for the weekend - need recs from local Hounds!
So this Philly Hound is happy to be back in lovely East Nashville visiting dear friends and new parents, and am looking for recs for dinner tonight (Saturday) sans baby. Criteria - any food is great except sushi (which, no offense intended, is NOT why I dine in Nashville anyway!!). Budget is in the under $35 entree range, and we will eat on the early side due to baby schedule. Just to give an idea of my faves, I already had my breakfast fix at Sweet 16th (yummmmm...), we're heading to Silly Goose for lunch, and will hit Marche before I leave. So any must try options elsewhere you recommend?
Puckett's looks good, and my friends like Rumors Wine Bar (but I have to admit two years ago I was unimpressed). So any suggestions for places that are worth venturing to tonight would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Kimmel Center area
La Viola - 253 S 16th St, Philadelphia PA19102 39.947775 -75.167742
Almost everything is under $20, and as a BYOB, you can bring a nice bottle of wine with you and save on the bar tab. Just remember it's cash only.
Another very nice option is the pre-theatre pre-fixe at Estia, which is Greek Mediterranean, and fabulous. The pre- dinner deal is a $30 three course, which is very affordable! The space is lovely too.
BYO etiquette (when it's not a BYO) [moved from Philadelphia board]
I agree, CindyJ, the Chowhound Team doesn't understand Philly, and this is definitely a Philadelphia question. While other cities may have some BYO options, the BYO is so much a part of the fabric of this city, that those unfamiliar with the Philly dining scene simply don't understand how pervasive it is.
good lunch spot within walking distance of Basilica
Le castagne at 19th and Chestnit is very good, and their house specials are delicious and consistently good deals. If it's nice and you enjoy a stroll, Rittenhouse Square has many many options, but if your like Union Square Cafe, you may enjoy Le Castagne.
http://www.lecastagne.com/
Reasonable, Yet Delicious Restaurant Near Academy of Music
If it's a casual thing, and neither of you are going to be dressed in black tie, what's wrong with some of the bars around there that have great food? Monk's is always good food...and the diversity of the crowd always provides great people watching and a conversational jumping off point in case chitchat starts to die. Good Dog on 15th is close by and great great great burgers. There's also Sansom Street Oyster House as a safe alternative if you want to kick it up a notch - good food, not too romantic, but can get a little pricey of you're eating and drinking. If you cross Broad Street, Time at 13th and Sansom is kind of fun, and you have the option of the restuarant or the whiskey bar, El Vez is there for quirky and casual. Opa is a nice option, and is reasonable. But for my money, if it's a first date and you're still trying to figure each other out and seduction hasn't entered the equation yet, go to Monk's.
CH7
Went last night with my one of my favorite restuarant "first sampling" friends (mostly because she doesn't question my desire to order entirely off the apps menu to get the largest tasting option possible on the first visit). Let me say that the reno on the space is great. The noise level is high, but we sat at one of the two person hightops by the bar, and we could still speak comfortably even on a busy night. We had the calamari, which was excellent. Warm, with a crips & light cornmeal crust that kept the squid tender and sweet. It is served with a sweet sauce, more like honey than syrup, that perfectly balanced the earthiness of the coating. We had the shrimp and grits, which were yummy, but as a southerner, not quite where I could proclaim the dish excellent. My friend doesn't eat bacon, so I ordered it on the side, so I could mix it into my portion. It needed the saltiness of the bacon, and the grits were very creamy - I like mine slightly coarser, but the flavor was good (especially once the bacon was mixed.,,mmmmm bacon....) there were four large shrimp, perfectly cooked, so again, the dish was very good, just not quite at Carolina Coast standards. The spice rubbed wings were also very nice, although of 9 pieces, two were very small with minimal meat. We were hitting capacity already, so there was no loss, but if we were there just to eat at the bar or for a snack, it would have been disappointing. However the portions are large - and reasonably priced- so "meh". The only questionable dish was the "house salad". Iceberg lettuce (which I quite like - I am not anti-iceberg), but the pieces were a bit too large, and a little too wet, although very fresh. The house salad boasts pepporcini, sopressetta, and shaved pecorino, mixed with red onion and pear tomatoes. All of those things are lovely individually, but as a composition, the salad was unbalanced. The red onion overpowered the shaved cheese, and the sausage really didn't add anything as the dressing buried the taste of the slices. I would rather they called this an anti-pasto salad, without the onion, and perhaps a little less lettuce, and offer a simpler lettuce/veggie option. That being said, we really liked the viniagrette.
The two house cocktails we tried were both flavorful. She had the blood orange margarita (heavenly - but DO NOT skip the salt), I had the basil cocktail with the pineapple vodka. Mine was delicioso...but it should be served in a larger glass, with perhaps a bit of seltzer added to overcome the increased volume, because over ice, the crushed basil and muddled pineapple didn't have room to let the flavors mingle well. It is currently served in a large highball, which is not quite large enough to manage both ice and fruit/herb.
They still need to refine their service. Service was extremely friendly, and our waiter had an expected knowledge of the menu, but we did wait too long for our first cocktail and the subsequent glass of wine with the meal. All of our dishes arrive at one time too, which seemed poorly timed since our table was basically a bar table (did I mention the portions are generous?). We were hungry and not shy, so the food didn't suffer by waiting! We also had to call for our check as our server was running, and we were full, tired, and getting cranky as it was bedtime.
Overall, I think it is a promising start, and I am looking forward to yet another neighborhood option that doesn't mean suffering mediocre just so I don't have to cook!
New Thai Restaurant Coming to Chestnut Hill!
Good luck - I have been for lunch once and dinner twice, and it has bever been crowded. We're just so desparate for passable thai food in the neighborhood, otherwise we would not have given them the third try. They're very sweet people, though, so I'd like to see them succeed.
New Thai Restaurant Coming to Chestnut Hill!
Well, we've been three times now, and all three times we have been sorely disappointed. I rarely agree 100% with Craig Laban, but I agree 110% with him based on the review this past week, so I will just post the link to his review instead of trying to recount the multiple disappointments. Sigh...we had such hopes....
http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20110807_Thai_Kuu.html
Twisted Tail - a review
I agree - but thus the beauty of Chowhound! Informal reviews from people who know their food, know their drinks, and know what should be expected.
Heirloom tomatoes
We were just at Maple Acre Farms off Narcissa Road in Plymouth Meeting the other night and they haa a gorgeous variety. We sticked up on the small yellow ones that look like donut peaches and have been in tomato-ey heaven for the past 48 hours.
Moving to City Ave Area
You're only a short drive down Lincoln Dr. to Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill, which are really experiencing a nice little rejuvenation of their dining scene. Micah, Earth Bread and Brewery, Wine Thief, GeeChee Girl Cafe, Avenida, Tiffin...all within a few minutes trek down a windy scenic road. Keep going up Germantown into Plymouth Meeting and you'll have From the Boot (hands down one of the best BYOB Italian places in the area), and keep going another 8 or so minutes to Blue Fin for sushi (best in the greater Philly area IMHO). Or veer from Germantown Ave to Ridge Pike for Conshohocken's happening little scene including Blackfish, Stone Rose, Coyote Crossing, and really nice Thai.
If you have a car, a WORLD of options is available to you within 15-20 minutes without going into Center City...although you definitely should. From where you will be at PCOM, you can get downtown in 10 minutes via west River, and visit one of the fan faves - Matyson, or the hundreds of other fabulous finds in our fair city.
From City Line you can also easily get to University City, where there is another entire world of fabulous food adventures. The long and the short of it is that you'll have plenty of options - So Welcome!
Canning produce
Maple Acres Farm is where I usually get mine, and as the season progresses, you can get baskets and baskets for relatively cheap. I just finished the last of last year's canned tomatoes, and can't wait to fire up the old pressure canner again soon.
They are easily accessible from the turnpike exit at Plymouth Meeting via Germantown.
http://mapleacresfarmmarket.com/index.html
Main Line or NW Philly?
I live in West Mt Airy, and Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill has it all over Narberth. Narberth is cute, but you can do the whole area in one day, and the restaurants are "meh". Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill is walkable, inexpensive (relatively), and has excellent acess to light rail. Rental housing is definitely available, the neighborhoods are safe, and easy access to the park makes it great for kids. The recent revitalization of the restaurant scene on this end of Germantown Ave continues with a nice balance of quality family friendly options (Avenida, Earth Bread Brewery are my two faves with kids) and higher end cuisine (Mica, Osaka). The Weaver's Way Co-op on the Hill is a great option for specialty foods you can feel good about, while the weekend and Tuesday Farmer's Markets provde afordable local in-season produce.
The best thing you can do is just drive around for a day or two, and get a feel for the neighborhoods and what feels right to you. When I was house-hunting, I never thought I would leave Center City where I had been renting for ten years, but a friend insisted on taking me out to brunch in Mt Airy and driving around the neighborhoods. I fell in love with the stone houses, huge trees and meandering side streets coupled with a walkable distance to several restaurants, a grocery store, etc.. I let my Center City Real Estate agent go, and limited my search to a 1 mile radius of basically where I am now. It felt right to me then, and it still does. Best of luck to you!
Call for Help from Fellow Philly Hounds
A colleague from NYC has reached out and needs dinner recs for restaurants in the Center City area that can accomodate 50 people. They want tasty, they want walkable, no word on price. This is a group of designers visiting the city for an architectural walking tour. To make things super challenging, this is in two weeks on a Friday night.
If they needed recs for 20, I can name a dozen places, but 50 is beyond my scope.
Any suggestions? After you stop laughing? Thanks!
Avenida - why have I not tried them before?
Avenida is terrific, and the owners, Edgar and Kim, are just the loveliest people. My father was visiting from out of town over Memorial Day weekend, and we went there for dinner Saturday night. As always, the food was fabulous, but the evening was extra special when Edgar came over to our table and introduced himself to my family. Then when dessert was served, Kim came out and visited our table as well. I have been going there about once a month since they opened, and there is not one time that I haven't seen one or both them out of the kitchen and interacting with customers. The food is very good, and the rear patio dining is such a treat in nice weather, but the warmth of the owners and their staff is what has made us loyal customers.
Plus - My father was really impressed that Chef introduced himself, as if I was a VIP or something, when truly I just eat out way too much!
Haunted venues
Supposedly Avenida (formerly Chresheim Cottage Cafe) in W Mt Airy is haunted.
